L
legend
Guest
NEWCASTLE: Incumbent Test No.7 Brett Kimmorley declared today Andrew Johns deserved to be named Australian half-back for Friday week's rugby league Test against New Zealand.
Kimmorley, who endorsed Johns as the world's best player, said if the Newcastle skipper was overlooked for selection for the clash with the Kiwis in Wellington, St George Illawarra five-eighth Trent Barrett was second in line to wear the green and gold halfback's jumper. Writing in his weekly column in the Newcastle Herald, Kimmorley predicted Johns would be selectors' first choice halfback when the national team is announced on Sunday night if he can make a successful comeback from a 10-week lay off with a knee injury against Brisbane tomorrow night. "The only way Johns will not be first mentioned is if they decide to go in alphabetical order," Kimmorley said. "That said, I would consider myself third in the pecking order behind Joey and Dragons five-eighth Trent Barrett. "No matter how you look at it, I played in the two matches the Blues lost in the series," he said of NSW's 34-16 and 40-14 losses in the first and third State of Origin matches. "And Barrett was voted man of the match in his only start when NSW beat the Maroons 26-8 in game two." Northern Eagles half-back Kimmorley refused to completely give up hope of being retained in the Australian Test team. He said he planned to have a "blinder" against the Sydney Roosters when the teams met at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday and hoped that would help influence selectors to look in his favour. Kimmorley compared Johns' return for Newcastle tomorrow with Queensland bringing back Allan Langer "to ruin our plans of taking the Origin series from the Queenslanders". He said he expected Johns to have the same impact at Marathon Stadium tomorrow night as Langer had for the Maroons on Sunday night. "There is no doubt in my mind Andrew Johns is the best player in the world and that is best summed up when you see that he is still leading the Dally M Player of the Year voting," Kimmorley said.
<!-- Vignette StoryServer 4 Thu Jul 05 14:15:07 2001 -->
Kimmorley, who endorsed Johns as the world's best player, said if the Newcastle skipper was overlooked for selection for the clash with the Kiwis in Wellington, St George Illawarra five-eighth Trent Barrett was second in line to wear the green and gold halfback's jumper. Writing in his weekly column in the Newcastle Herald, Kimmorley predicted Johns would be selectors' first choice halfback when the national team is announced on Sunday night if he can make a successful comeback from a 10-week lay off with a knee injury against Brisbane tomorrow night. "The only way Johns will not be first mentioned is if they decide to go in alphabetical order," Kimmorley said. "That said, I would consider myself third in the pecking order behind Joey and Dragons five-eighth Trent Barrett. "No matter how you look at it, I played in the two matches the Blues lost in the series," he said of NSW's 34-16 and 40-14 losses in the first and third State of Origin matches. "And Barrett was voted man of the match in his only start when NSW beat the Maroons 26-8 in game two." Northern Eagles half-back Kimmorley refused to completely give up hope of being retained in the Australian Test team. He said he planned to have a "blinder" against the Sydney Roosters when the teams met at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday and hoped that would help influence selectors to look in his favour. Kimmorley compared Johns' return for Newcastle tomorrow with Queensland bringing back Allan Langer "to ruin our plans of taking the Origin series from the Queenslanders". He said he expected Johns to have the same impact at Marathon Stadium tomorrow night as Langer had for the Maroons on Sunday night. "There is no doubt in my mind Andrew Johns is the best player in the world and that is best summed up when you see that he is still leading the Dally M Player of the Year voting," Kimmorley said.
<!-- Vignette StoryServer 4 Thu Jul 05 14:15:07 2001 -->
